In Pictures: India vaccinates teens aged 15 to 18 as virus cases rise

Indian health authorities Monday began vaccinating teens in the age group of 15 to 18, as more states started to enforce tighter restrictions to arrest a new surge stoked by the infectious omicron variant. Above, youths stand in a queue as they wait for their turn to get inoculated with a dose of vaccine during a vaccination drive for people in the 15-18 age group, in Mumbai on January 3, 2022.

India's state governments administered doses at schools, hospitals, and unique vaccination sites amid a rapid rise in coronavirus infections, particularly in densely populated cities.

A youth poses for pictures after getting a COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine during a vaccination drive for people aged 15-18 at a primary health centre in Hyderabad on January 3, 2022.

Data from the health ministry showed India confirmed over 33,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Deaths increased by 123, bringing the total to nearly 482,000.

Authorities "say that even as cases have started to rise rapidly, hospitalizations have not gone up. "There is no need to panic,'' Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, said Sunday.

India has so far recorded almost 35 million COVID-19 infections. The current surge in cases, including those of the omicron variant, is primarily concentrated in India's big cities like Delhi and the financial capital Mumbai.

The country has reported more than 1,700 omicron cases, with the highest number of infections in the western state of Maharashtra.

Many states have imposed new restrictions, including night curfews, limiting seating in bars and restaurants, and banning large public gatherings. The latest to enforce such restrictions was the state of West Bengal where authorities Sunday closed all schools and colleges.

A teen leaves after receiving the vaccination for COVID-19 at a government school in New Delhi.

The new surge prompted the country's health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, on Sunday to urge states to speedily ramp up medical infrastructure.

To bolster the public health system, including adding beds in intensive care units, Indian lawmakers approved a $3.1 billion financial package in August. But less than 17% of those funds have been utilized so far.

An Indian teen reacts as she receives vaccination for COVID-19 at a government school in Gauhati, India.

India experienced a devastating surge of infections in April and May last year when more than 400,000 cases were recorded daily at the peak of the crisis. That surge was mainly driven by the delta variant and overwhelmed the country's healthcare system as hospitals ran out of beds and medical oxygen. Health experts say the country is unlikely to witness last year's harrowing scenes this time because of a more vaccinated population but warn the surge in cases due to the highly transmissible omicron variant could once again strain the health system.

A health worker inoculates a youth with a dose of the Covaxine vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus during a vaccination drive for people in the 15-18 age group, at a school in Bhopal on January 3, 2022. (Photo by Gagan NAYAR / AFP)

Youths pose for pictures after receiving a dose of the Covaxin vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus during a vaccination drive for people in the 15-18 age group, at a Medical college in Allahabad. Vineeta Bal, a doctor who studies immune systems at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in the city of Pune, said vaccinating those under the age of 18 was important inoculating teens could reduce transmission, and help protect adults, including those who had other diseases that made them vulnerable to the virus.